Dough twisting machine



Aug. 17, 1937. F, sTRElcH 2,090,379

DOUGH TWISTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 DOUGH TWISTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 DOUGH TWISTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 17, 1937 i) N i ril" E S TA wi" El S aan FifiQE.

Application February 3, 1937, Serial Ne. iz

i4 Claims.

This invention relates to dough twisting niachines, and its` principal object is to provide improved means for twisting together two or more rolls of dough preparatory to placing the twisted 5 'together rolls in a pan.

Heretofore rolls of dough have been manually twisted together before they are placed in the pans in the making of certain kinds of bread and other bakery goods. This operation takes conl0 siderable time and requires the services of one or more attendants to perform the twisting operations. Several attempts have been made to twist rolls of dough together by mechanical means, with more or less success, but since dough is a l5 very plastic and more or less sticky substance,

and because the rolls of dough vary in size te form 25 the twisting mechanism. This I have accomplished with the use of two groups of oppositely disposed dough twisting rolls, arranged around a common center to form a trough to receive rolls of dough, together with means to rotate the rolls 3.9 of one group in one direction and means to rotate the rolls of-the other group in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the iirst mentioned group, whereby the rolls of dough are twisted together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of simple and substantial construction, capable of handling the material rapidly and requiring a minimum amount of power to operate it.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specication, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a dough twisting machine, embodying a simple form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, with part of one of the side frames broken away, to illustrate mechanism that otherwise would be hidden from View;

Fig. 3 is a detail, vertical cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the dough twisting assemblies in a position in which one 0f them is about to pick up two rolls of dough;

(Cl. 107mg) Fig. 4 is a detail View of one of the dough twisting assemblies, partly in plan and partly in section, taken on the line l-i of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail, vertical cross-section, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, but showing the dough twisting assemblies in a vertical position;

Fig. 6 is a detail, fragmental, side elevation of one of the arms which carries one set of dough twisting rolls; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmental plan, partly in horizontal section, illustrating a certain dough detaining member.

Referring to said drawings, which are illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, the reference character l@ designates a rectangular supporting frame, composed oi side frame memn bers il, connected at their ends by end frame members l2, bolted or otherwise fastened thereto. Bolted or otherwise secured to the upper ends of the side frame members, are upper side frame members l, between which are mounted the dough twisting assemblies. The several frame members desirablyV are formed with flanges at their edges to provide added strength and rigidity.

Journaled in bearing bosses in the upper side frame members i3 is a shaft I4, driven from an electric motor or other power device l5, as by belts and pulleys I5, il, i8, I9, Ztl and 2l. The arrangement shown provides drive mechanism for rotating the shaft lli at a relatively low speed as compared with the speed of the motor.

Extending radially from the shaft i4 at places adjacent the upper side frame members I3, are arms 22, 22a, 23, 23a, which radiate from hubs 2d that are rigidly mounted upon the shaft. The arms 22, 22a are arranged in pairs and are disposed oppositeto each other, as are also the arms 23, 23a and, in the embodiment of the invention shown, the arms 22, 23 are disposed diametrically opposite each other. As many pairs of arms may be employed as is found desirable. A dough twisting assembly is carried by each pair of arms 22, 22a and 23, 23a, and since the dough twisting mechanism carried by each pair of arms is substantially identical, I shall describe one twisting assembly, it being understood that such description applies to both twisting assemblies.

The oppositely disposed arms form carriers or rotatory supports for oppositely dispose-d twisting rolls 2%, 2l, 25 and 26a, 21a, 28a, three rolls for each set being shown, although a lesser or greater number may be employed if found desirable. The twisting rolls of one set extend toward the twisting rolls of the opposite set, corresponding rolls being arranged in co-axial alignment and Vgapbetween the opposing sets of rolls.

desirably spaced apart from each other to Vleave aV As a preference, the twisting rolls are made hollow for Vthe sake of lightness and they taper slightly toward the middle oi?A the machine. Desirably the i twisting rolls are not smooth, but have theirV sura trough `between them in which theV rollsoiY dough are received Vand twisted together.

faces slightly roughened or they may be Viiuted or otherwise treated to obtain greater purchase upon the dough. The twisting rolls of each set are disposed about a common center to provide order to support Ythe twisting rolls of .each set in this relation, the outer end of each arm is formed with lateral. projections 29, 30 (see Fig. 6)", which carry'the rolls 2S, 2'! or 25e, Elm, the roll 28 Yor 25a, being carried by the main part oi .the arm.

Each twisting roll is rigidly mounted upon a stub shaft 3i journaled in a bearing boss formed on the arm, and each stub shaft has rigidly secured thereon a sprocket wheel 32, around which sprocket wheels is trained a sprocket chain 33.V

The sprocket wheels and sprocket chains provide one means whereby when the Ytwisting roll 21 or Ele is rotated about its own axis, the other rolls of the set are rotated on their axes in the same direction Y As a result, the adjacent faces of ad-..l

jacent twisting rolls rotate in opposite directions and act to rotate Vthe rolls oi Vdough in the trough formed bythe set oi rclls,'one roll acting to carry the dough down into theV crotch betweenadjacent rolls, the adjacent roll acting to carry the dough out of the crotch. kThe three doughV twisting rolls of one set frictionally engage the dough and turn it around a common axis in one direction and the dough twisting rolls of the-opposite set act to turn the dough around in the. opposite direction, thereby twisting the two rolls of dough together from end to end. f'

Means are provided for reversely rotating the twisting rolls of the oppositely dispose-d sets during the twisting operation, and the means shown comprisesstationary gear racks orV segments 34, 35 .andpinions 3&5,Y 3'! for one set of twisting rolls, and a pinion 33 for the other set of twisting rolls.

ie pinion-38 is mounted'on a stud shaft Bla, carried kby the arm 22 and runs into and out of meshV with the gear segment 34. This pinion 35 also meshes with the intermediate pinion 31 which is rigidly mounted on the shaft 3| of the -roll 2'! anddoes not 'meshA with the gear segment 34. The pinionV 33 is mounted on the shaft 3| for the roll 27a and runs into and out of mesh with the gear segment 35. .With the use of an intermediate pinion 3l for oneY set of twisting rolls and a single pinion 38.for the oppositeY set, reverse rotation of the twisting rolls of the opposite VSets is obtained during the time the pinions 36, 38 are in mesh with the gear segments and rolling along the same. v Conveniently the 'gear segments 34, 35 ar'e'located adjacent the inner faces of the upper side frame members I3 and'theteeth thereof are con- Jcentric with the shaft i4, whereby thepinions 36,

38,'may run into and out of mesh with the gear segments during Va'. part of each cycle of rota-` tion of the, arms. Theigcar segments may be ro-V tatively and adjustably` Vmounted on the shaft I4 to enable the gear segments torbe adjustedY angularlyabout Vthe axisv of the shaft so as'to Ycontrolv the beginning and. end of the cycles of rotation of the dough twisting rolls. The adjustability'ofthe gear segments enables one set of dough twisting rollsto commence and finish the twisting action before the Opposite set, and thisV molder.

has been found desirable. The gear segments are held stationary by bolts 4| held in the upper frame members, and extending through slots 42 in the gear segments.

by turning them upon the VYshaft I4. When adjusted to place they'are fastened to the upper frame members by the bolts 4|. y Y

VIt is to be understood that the shaft I4 rotates the arms 22, 22a, 23, 23a and therewith bodily rotates the dough twisting rolls through a circularorbt andjthat'when the pinions 36, 38 run into mesh with the gear segments, the .dough twisting rolls are then rotated about their own axes,

Y ceived by the machine, one of the dough twisting assemblies is approaching the place where it receives the rolls of dough. Sometimes more than the required number of rolls of dough are fdelivered to the machine beforeatwisting asj sembly arrives at the place where itA receives the rolls of dough and means have been provided to enable each twistingY assembly to pick up the frequired number of rolls of dough at a time, although more than the required number may have been delivered to the machine. The means forvaccomplishing this will now be described.

Mounted on and extending between each pair of arms 22, 22a and 23, 23e is a toothed scoop 43 which picksup the rolls of dough delivered Y to the machine and delivers them to the two asso-1 ciated sets of twisting rolls. The scoop 43 may be in the form of a bar 44, formed with teeth 46 and secured to posts-or lugsY 45 formed uponY the'extensions 30j ofthe arms 22, 22a or 23, 23e, the teeth 46 extending from one side `of Vthe bar 44 and being curved or arched'over the trough between the rolls and extending in the direction of rotationin the dough twisting assembly.

The end of the machine which receives the rolls of dough from the molder may be termed the receiving station* and at saidwend is a dough f detaining member 4'|,.uponfjwhichthe rolls of K dough are delivered, one at a time, from the Desirably the-'dough detaining member .may be in the formcfan inclined crosswise extending bar 48, located :between the upper side frame members and having-downturned lugs 46 the bar 48, inclined ngers 50 extend downwardly. therefrom and Yterminate in upwardly curved extremities which prevent the' rolls of dough from rolling oli` the ngers. The spaces between the iingers 50 are aligned with `the tongues V46', of the scoop 43, and permit said tonguesto pass along the side edges of said iingers and pick up the required number of.rolls of doughV from said lingers. This is Vmore clearly illustrated in'Fig.Y 3, where the tongues of one twisting assembly are about to pass by the ngers. The width of the scoop is such that two rolls ofdough can be accommodated 'inV it, but if a third roll of dough has been accidentallydelivered tothe machine it'will be rolled away by the scoop Vand will be picked upby the scoop VThe latter are adjusted .Y

' bolted to the edges of said frame members. From- Y Y combination a frame, having a receiving station Y and a discharge' station, two/setslof oppositely disposed rotator-y dough twisting rolls, the` rolls Yof each set beingdisposed around a common center to form atrough, an Yarm for each set of rolls, a rotatory shaft upon which the arms are'rigidly mounted, said shaft operating to rotate the arms and therewith bodily rotate the rolls past the receivingV and discharge stations, means for rotating the vrolls of one set upon their axes in one directionirneans for rotating Vthe rolls of the other set upon their aXes'in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rst mentioned set,

` said roll rotating means being Varranged to rotate Vset of rolls, means for moving the carriers andk therewith bodily moving the rolls through an the rolls while traveling between the `receiving and discharge stations.' f'

7. A dough twistingY machine,v comprising in combination a frame having a receiving station and a discharge station, two sets of oppositely disposed rotatory dough twisting rolls, the rolls of each set being disposed around a common center to form a trough, a rotatable carrier for each orbit passing through the receiving and discharge stations, gear segments stationarily supported on 'the frame, drive pinions, one for each setrof rolls,

adapted to run into and out of mesh with one of the'gear segments, one of said drivepinions being rigid with one of the rollsY of one set, and there being an intermediate pinionV rigidly connected to one of the rolls of the other set and in- Vtermeshing with the drive pinion" therefor, and

gearing between the several rolls of eachrset, whereby the rolls of each set rotate in one and the same direction.

8. A dough twistingrmachine, Ycomprising in combination oppositely disposed sets of tapered dough twisting rolls, the rolls of one set `beingV aligned with those of the `other set, with the tapered ends adjacent each other, means for bodily4 rotating the rolls, and meansto rotate the two sets of rolls in opposite directions.

9. Adough twisting machine, comprising in combination a' frame having receiving and discharge stations, oppositelydisposed sets of doughV twisting rolls, oppositely disposed arms carryingY said rolls, means to rotate said arms and therewith bodily rotate the rolls, means to rotate the Vtwo sets of rolls in oppositeV directions, a dough detaining member at the receivingrstation, and a scoop carried by said arms and arrangedY to pick up rolls of dough detained by the dough detaining member.

10. In a dough twisting machine, the combination of a frame, having a slotted dough detainin'gl member, oppositely disposed sets of dough twisting rolls, carriers upon which said rolls are mounted, means for rotating said carriers, means for rotating the relis of each set in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rollsfofv the other set, and a slotted scoop mounted on said carriers and arranged to pick up the rolls of dough detained by the detaining member,

11. In a dough twisting machine, the combination of a pairV of oppositelydisposed-arms, a rotatory shaft upon-which said arms are mounted, two sets of dough twisting rolls, one set mounted upon each'armythe rolls ofeach set being disposed about a common center to forma trough, and the two sets of rolls being spaced apart to leave a gap therebetween, a trough carried by saidV arms, and located between the two sets of rolls,

and means to Vrotate the two sets of rolls in opposite directions.

12.7In a dough twisting machine, the combination of a frame having a receiving station and a discharge station, a dough detaining member mountedV at the receiving station and beingY formed with iingers having upturned extremities,

a pair of oppositely disposed arms, sets of dough twisting rolls carried by said arms, means torotate the sets'of rolls in opposite directions, a scoop mounted upon said arms and having curved tongues arranged to pass throughthe spaces between ngers of the dough detaining member and pick up the required number of rolls of dough detained thereby.`

13.'` In a dough twisting machine, thercombinaintermesh with said pinions.

14. In a 'dough twisting machineythe combination of oppositely disposed carriers, dough twisting assemblies mountedthereon and comprising dough twisting rolls, means for rotating the carriers and therewith bodily rotating the dough twisting assemblies'and gearing for rotating the rolls of the assemblies, one set in one di-` rection and one set in the opposite direction.

FRANKV STREICH. 

